Carrying device for cans



Aug. 31, 1965 G. ERICKSON 3,203,580

CARRYING DEVICE FOR CANS Filed Oct. 19. 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIGI FIGZINVENTOR GERALD ERICKSON BY f m @m Mu 2 M ATTORNEY! I Aug. 31, 1965 c so3,203,58U

CARRYING DEVICE FOR CANS Filed Oct. 19. 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORGERALD ERICKSON BY m 21m M F ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,203,580CARRYING DEVICE FOR CANS Gerald Erickson, Westport, Conn, assignor toSnap Pac Corporation, a corporation of Delaware Filed "Oct. 19, 1960,Ser. No. 63,580 7 'Claims. (Cl. 220-102) This invention relates toimprovements in can holding and carrying devices and more particularlyrelates to a can holding and carrying device adapted to rigidly andeffectively hold a plurality of cans in abutting relationship as aunitary package for handling and carrying, which device is constructedfrom one piece of material.

In the art of packaging and carrying cans, it is most common to providea packaging device constructed of cardboard in the nature of a cartonfor holding and carrying a plurality of cans. These cartons may bewrapped around six cans to hold them together and the cartons areprinted or otherwise marked to carry the identification of the productwithin the cans covered by the carton. Although cardboard cartons forpackaging cans have achieved wide acceptance in the industry they have anumber of disadvantages. For example, the identification of the goods inthe cans such as by trademark or the like, must also be placed on theoutside of the carton. Furthermore, the cardboard cartons at timesbecome dirty and soiled in storage and are a natural harbor for dust andinsects. Cardboard cartons are destroyed by moisture such as water orrain and certain types of chemicals. Also, cardboard cartons aresomewhat difficult to grasp and carrying may be uncomfortable as thehandles sometimes tend to cut into a consumers hand. Furthermore, it isdifiicult and annoying for the consumer to remove individual cans andsuch removal quite often requires complicated directions. After the cansare removed and the carton is opened it has no further utility and isquite bulky and must be disposed of. In addition, cardboard is a thermalinsulator and cardboard can packages take longer to chill than if thecans were not encased in cardboard.

Therefore, it is the primary object of this invention to provide a canholding and carrying device consisting of a one-piece sheet of thinmaterial such as sheet metal which not only allows the labels on thecans being carried to identify the product but also allows quickcooling, provides easy can removal, has utility for holding used cansand may be reused, provides means for stacking, is clean, bright and maybe washed if desired and is impervious to elements with chemicals andfurther provides a convenient and comfortable carrying handle.

As noted above and as accomplished by this invention, the disadvantagesof a cardboard carton type can carrying device can be overcome with ametal carrying device. Even though several metal can carrying devicesare known in the art, they are all too complicated, complex andtherefore expensive to allow wide usage. One of the reasons for theexpense of the prior known metal can carriers is their complexconstruction which is not adapted to mass production. It is a furtherobject of this invention to provide a relatively simple but highlyeffective one piece can carrying and holding device constructed of aminimum amount of material and adapted for mass production, thus havingan average cost per unit substantially less than the prior metal cancarriers and even less than printed cardboard cartons, which cancarrying device is further adapted to increase the efficiency of anautomatic can packing operation.

Further objects of this invention will be pointed out in the followingdetailed description and claims and illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings which disclose, by way of example, the principle of thisinvention and chimes on opposite ends of the cans.

the best mode which has been contemplated of applying that principle.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the carryingdevice of this invention.

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the can holding and carrying device of FIG.1 shown holding a plurality of cans in a unitary package.

FIG. 3 is an end elevation view of the can pack and carrying devicetherefor shown in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a modification of a can carrying deviceshowing another type of can engaging means and means for stacking aplurality of can packs.

FIG. 5 is a top plan view of the carrying device in FIG. 4- as appliedto and for holding a plurality of cans in a unitary can package.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of another modification of this inventionshowing a separate handle device and another way of engaging the cans.

FIG. 7 is a top plan view of the device of the FIG. 6 modification shownholding a plurality of cans in a unitary package.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a further modification of the cancarrying device of this invention.

FIG. 9 is a top plan view of the can carrier illustrated in FIG. 8 andas applied to hold a plurality of cans in a unitary package.

FIG. 10 is another view of a can carrier similar to the carrier of theFIG. 8 embodiment as applied to flat top rather than chime cans.

In general, this invention contemplates a can pack carrying deviceadapted to hold a number of cans to gether in abutting relationship andallow the cans so held to be handled and carried. For the sake ofeconomy and mass production, th device is made quite simply of a singlepiece of sheetmetal or other material, such as plastic and furthermoreutilizes as little material as possible consistent with requisitestrength, due to its unique construction. The one piece body contains aninside portion which is the same length as the length or height of thecans to be packaged and is adapted to be positioned in a space betweenabutting cans. Integrally attached to each end of the inside portionsare a pair of feet portions which during forming of the one-piece blankare bent perpendicular to the plane of the inside portion so as tooverlie the ends of a plurality of cans in a package and to overlie thetop of each can. On the facing portions of the feet, that is, the facesof the feet which are adjacent the cans, there are provided projectionsfor engaging the can tops. These projections may be of various forms forengaging can chimes or in the case of cans not having chimes may beformed dur-' ing production to indent the top of the can slightly forholding purposes. However, since most cans have chimes, the preferredembodiment is for engaging can Handle means may be provided by a cutoutfor sticking a finger through a portion of the body, or by a handlewhich bends out of the plane of the top of the cans, or alternatively bya separate handle which is adapted to be collapsed when the can holdingdevice is stored. Further, for storage purposes there may be provided inthe outside faces of both feet complementary dimples for stacking canpacks one on top of another without any wobbling occurring duringstorage.

FIG. 1 shows a preferred embodiment of the can holding device 10 of thisinvention. The can holding device may be made from a single sheet ofmetal by stamping or the like; alternatively it may be made of suitableplastic. When formed, the blank consists of what will be termed insideportions 12, 14, 16 and 18.

each having a length which is substantially equal to the length orheight h of cans C to be packaged, see FIG. 3. Joining the insideportions are horizontal cross connections 22, 24 and 26 so that they areall connected with suitable lateral spacing. The spacing between theupright portions is such that they will engage at the abutting edges ofa plurality of juxtapositioned cans as shown in FIG. 2.

Integrally joined to the top and bottom of the inside portions arerelatively large and substantially fiat feet portions. In FIG. 1 thereare four feet portions 32, 34, 36 and 38 shown. The feet portions arestamped with circular shaped apertures 42, 44, 46 and 48 respectively,one in each of the feet. The apertures are of a diameter sufi'lcient forthe average human finger to comfortably be inserted therethrough forcarrying purposes. On the feet there are projections or means forengaging the tops of the cans in the package. In FIG. 1 these consist oftriangularly shaped cut dimples 40, these dimples being directedinwardly toward the inside portions from the bottom faces of all of thefeet. As can be seen in FIG. 2 the dimples are arranged so that theyengage just behind the can chimes on both ends of the can to hold thecan in a package. As will be evident in FIG. 1, the feet portions per soare unbroken by any hinge or bend lines and are therefore relativelyrigid across their entire large flat area. The feet portions 32 and 34are integrally joined as noted above by integral hinge connectingportions 31, 33, 35, and 37 to the inside portions 12, 14, 16, and 13,respectively. The hinge connections are to opposite sides of the feetportions 32 and 34 as shown and are in a single line X extending acrossa medial portion of each foot. The hinge connections along line Y at thebottom end of the inside portions are the same.

With reference to FIGS. 2 and 3, it can be seen that a package of sixcans are positioned together in abutting relationship with the cancarrying device in the center thereof. The cans may be pushed toward thecarrying device and the inside portions 16, 18, 14 and 12 abut againstthe edges of the cans while the feet portions 32, 34, 36 and 38 hold thetop and bottom of the cans by means of their inwardly extendingprojections 40. Holes 42 and 44 provide means for inserting the fingersto carry the integral can package. It is noted from FIG. 1 that thecarrier is made from a minimum amount of material, portions of the feetbeing originally between the inside portions and the cross connectionsuntil the feet portions are bent outwardly during the bending operationso that they are in a plane perpendicular to the inside portions andoverlie all of the cans to be held by the package as shown in FIG. 2.Also evident is the fact that the cans, when inserted into the carrierdevice, will tend to exert an outward pressure on both feet portions onboth sides of the plane of the inside portions. Due to the hingeconnections along lines X and Y the forces exerted outwardly on eachside of the hinge connections X and Y on the large, rigid feet willoppose each other and this interaction of forces on opposite sides ofthe plane of the inside portion counteract one another to give strengthto the unitary package.

It will be evident that various modifications on the basic invention maybe practiced. One of the modifications is shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. InFIGS. 4 and 5 a can carrying device is constructed of a one-pieceunitary metal blank. This blank has inside portions 52 and 54 integrallyconnected to feet portions 56 and 58. The feet portions are bent out ofthe plane of the inside portions and extend to both sides of the planeto overlie the plurality of cans when assembled in a package asillustrated in FIG. 5. The projections for holding the cans consist inthis modification, for example, of bent dimples 62 arranged at suitablelocations as is evident from viewing FIG. 5 for the purpose of holdingthe can chimes, both at the top and the bottom of the cans, so that thecarrier holds the cans in assembled relationship.

Also, finger holes 64, 66, 68 and 72 may be provided for carryingpurposes as described before. The dimples 62 also face inwardly, ofcourse, for engaging the can chimes as described above. The modificationof FIGS. 4 and 5 also provides a steadying means for stacking packagesof cans one on top of another. The top foot 56 has a plurality ofdownwardly depending dimples creating depressions 74, 75, 76 and 77 andthe lower foot 58 has corresponding downwardly extending projectionsbelow dimples 78, 79, 81 and 82. It is evident that when two packages ofcans are stacked, these projections in foot 58 will extend downwardly toengage in the depressions created in the upper surface of foot 56 by thecorresponding indentations in an adjacent can package.

A further modification of the invention is shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. Inthis modification the means for holding the can chimes consisting ofdownward projections is somewhat modified and the carrying meansconsists of a separate handle. More particularly, the one-piece metalcarrying device contains inside portions 102 and 104 connected by anintegral cross connection 106. Feet are provided at each end of theinside portions 102 and 104 and these feet are shown at 108, 110, 112and 114. Each foot is also bent during forming as explained above, to beperpendicular and extend to both sides of the plane of the insideportions 102 and 104. The projections for holding the cans both at thetop and bottom of the can package as shown in FIG. 7, consists ofinwardly bent portions 116 in each of the feet. These bent portions arecurved for engaging the can chimes as shown in FIG. 7. Also a groovedportion 118 is formed extending inwardly in all of the feet. Thisgrooved portion provides a storage for a handle 120. The handle 120 hasinwardly extending bails 122 which engage beneath the feet 108 and toallow the handle to carry and support the Weight of the can packageshown in FIG. 7. When the handle 120 is not in use, gravity causes it todrop down into the groove 118 in feet 108 and 110 thus providing a flatcan package.

FIGS. 8 and 9 show a further modification of a carrying means consistingof a bendable handle integral with the one-piece metal blank. Moreparticularly, the unitary can carrying device 200 contains insideportions 202 and 204 integrally connected to feet portions 206 and 208bent at right angles thereto and adapted to overlie the top of cans C asshown in FIG. 9. Cut projections 210 bent down from the inside faces ofthe feet 206 are positioned as shown in FIG. 9 for holding can chimespositively and the feet are also provided with stacking dimples 211 and212 similar to those described above and for the same purpose. A handle214 is provided integral with the one-piece blank and normally bent intothe plane of the foot 206 as shown in FIG. 9. During usage, however, thehandle 214 is bent up to be in the plane of the inside portions 202 and204 as shown in FIG. 8 for carrying purposes. A similar construction isshown in FIG. 10. The handle could also be a separate pivoted handle arranged in a similar manner and pivotable from the plane of the foot 206.

FIG. 10 in addition to showing the handle 214 bent upwardly for carryingpurposes, also shows how the device may be adapted for use with cans ofthe fiat top, no chime type. In this case the projections 210 are placedin the feet portions 206 and 208 during automatic assembly by suitablemachines and indent into the top of the cans to hold them in place.These indentations will, of course, remain in the top of the cans andsuch are shown at 216 on can C of FIG. 10 which is removed from thepackage.

It is believed that the operation of the can carrier will be evidentfrom the foregoing description. In use, cans may be assembled in canpackages by either manual or automatic means and by means of the carrierin any of the disclosed modifications or equivalents thereof and will berigidly held in a unitary package. To remove the can, the can is pulledoutwardly against the holding force and may be pushed upwardly ordownwardly to disengage the projections from the chimes or the top ofthe can and then pulled on out. After a can has been emptied and thecontents thereof consumed, the carrier furnishes a convenient means forcollecting the used cans for disposal. The cans may be merely reinsertedback into position and held therein by the projections engaging thechimes. For stacking in a warehouse, the complementary dimples on theoutside of the top and bottom of the outside faces of the feet providealigning means so that the can packages can be stacked quite highwithout wobbling or danger of falling. The can carrier is, of course, asmentioned above, made from a single stamping of sheet metal in a singleoperation and can be made quite inexpensively from a small amount ofsheet metal. By the construction of engaging the top and bottom of thecans, which usually have no appreciable amount of product identifyingprinted matter thereon, and engaging only the inside of the cans, thelabels identifying the product in the cans may be easily viewed withoutadditional printing on the can carrier. Furthermore, the carrierfurnishes a clean, bright and sanitary carrier which not only exposesthe contents, i.e., the cans carried thereby, but may be washed andallows for quick cooling. The handles are flat with the top of thecarrier and do not take up any extra room relative to the carrier. Ofcourse, the can carrier can be used with any number of products whichare sold to consumers in cans and can easily be set up in the field byindividual grocery clerks or the like as well as being set up and havingthe cans assembled in a pack during their production and filling.

While there has been shown and described and pointed out the fundamentalnovel features of the invention as applied to a preferred embodiment, itwill be understood that various omissions and substitutions and changesin the form and detail of the device illustrated and in its operationmay be made by those skilled in the art without departing from thespirit of the invention. For example, instead of sheet metal the cancarrier could be constructed of plastic. Also instead of carrying metalcans the carrier is applicable to holding and carrying tumblers such asthose made of glass or aluminum. It is the intention, therefore, to belimited only as indicated by the scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A can holding and carrying device for holding together a plurality ofcylindrical, fiat end, chimed receptacles, such as chimed cans, and forhandling and carrying the cans as a unitary package, the devicecomprising:

(a) an integral one-piece body formed as a substantially fiat blank, theone-piece body including;

(b) a fiat inside connecting portion having a length substantially equalto the height of receptacles,

(c) at least one pair of substantially flat, rigid, relatively large,plate-like feet portions integral with the inside portion,

(d) integral bendable hinge connections at both ends of the insideportion hingedly connecting the inside portion with each one of the feetportions at a medial portion thereof such that the large feet-likeportions extend substantially on both sides of the hinge line,

(e) both feet portions of the pair of plate-like feet portions beingbendable along the integral bendable hinge connections to thereby bepositionable wholly within planes parallel to one another and at rightangles to the plane of the inside portion, the rigid flat plate-likeportions being relatively large and covering a substantial area suchthat when so bent each of the foot portions is adapted to extend to bothsides of the plane of the inside portion with the inside faces of thefeet portions overlying flat ends of chimed receptacles, and

(f) inwardly extending projections integral with and extending inwardlyfrom the faces of opposite feet in the pair of flat plate-likerelatively large feet, the projections positioned to engage the chimesof a receptacle to hold them in the device.

2. A can holding and carrying device as defined in claim 1 wherein theintegral bendable hinge connections at both ends of the inside portionare hingedly connected to both sides of each one of the feet portions atthe medial portion thereof.

3. A can holding and carrying device as defined in claim 2 furthercomprising an integral handle integral with the one-piece blank andintegrally hingedly connected thereto to allow the handle to lie in theplane of the feet portion when the blank is assembled on cans.

4. A can holding and carrying device as defined in claim 1 wherein thereare two pairs of feet portions allowing the carrying device to carry sixchimed cans.

5. A can holding and carrying device as defined in claim 4 wherein eachfoot portion contains means defining relatively large diameter aperturestherein.

6. A can holding and carrying device for holding together a plurality ofcylindrical, flat end, chimed receptacles, such as chimed cans, and forhandling and carrying the cans as a unitary package, the devicecomprising:

(a) an integral one-piece body formed from a substantially flat blank,the one-piece body including;

(b) a flat inside portion having a length substantially equal to theheight of receptacle,

(c) at least one pair of substantially flat, relatively large, rigid,plate-like feet portions integral with the inside portion,

(d) hinge connecting means integral with the one-piece body connectingeach of the foot portions to an opposite end of the inside portion alonga hinge line which extends medially across the foot portion,

(e) both foot portions of the pair of rigid, plate-like feet portionsbeing bendable about the connecting hinge portion to be whollypositioned within planes parallel to one another and at right angles tothe plane of the inside portion, the flat plate-like feet portionscovering a substantial area such that each of the foot portions extendsto both sides of the inside portions and the inside faces of each footportion overlie flat ends of chimed receptacles,

(f) inwardly extending projections integral with and extending inwardlyfrom the inside faces of opposite feet of the pair of flat plate-likefeet, the projections positioned to engage the chimes of receptacles,such that receptacles in being positioned within the carrying devicewill tend to exert an outward force from the inside of each face of thefeet-like portions and the forces on both sides of the inside portionswill act against one another to form a rigid structure while theprojections hold the cans in the device, and

(g) a carrying handle integral with the one-piece blank and extendingfrom one end thereof.

7. A can holding and carrying device as defined in claim 6 wherein thefeet portion of the support include stacking dimples which arecomplementary to one another on the outside portions of the top andbottom feet so that packages of cans held by said device can be stackedone on top of another Without wobbling.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,477,818 12/23Gerlat. 2,285,801 6/42 Burnet 224-45 2,312,256 2/ 43 Lumley. 2,441,8345/48 Morse 220-104 2,667,995 2/54 Bruce.

JOSEPH R. LECLAIR, Primary Examiner.

EARLE J. DRUMMOND, FRANKLIN T. GARRETT,

GEORGE O. RALSTON, Examiners.

1. A CAN HOLDING AND CARRYING DEVICE FOR HOLDING TOGETHER A PLURALITY OFCYLINDRICAL, FLAT END, CHIMED RECEPTACLES, SUCH AS CHIMED CANS, AND FORHANDLING AND CARRYING THE CAN AS A UNITARY PACKAGE, THE DEVICECOMPRISING: (A) AN INTEGRAL ONE-PIECE BODY FORMED AS A SUBSTANTIALLYFLAT BLANK, THE ONE-PIECE BODY INCLUDING; (B) A FLAT INSIDE CONNECTINGPORTION HAVING A LENGTH SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL TO THE HEIGHT OFRECEPTACLES, (C) AT LEAST ONE PAIR OF SUBSTANTIALLY FLAT, RIGID,RELATIVELY LARGE, PLATE-LIKE FEET PORTIONS INTEGRAL WITH THE INSIDEPORTION, (D) INTEGRAL BENDABLE HINGE CONNECTIONS AT BOTH ENDS OF THEINSIDE PORTION HINGEDLY CONNECTING THE INSIDE PORTION WITH EACH ONE OFTHE FEET PORTIONS AT A MEDIAL PORTION THEREOF SUCH THAT THE LARGEFEET-LIKE PORTIONS EXTEND SUBSTANTIALLY ON BOTH SIDES OF THE HINGE LINE,(E) BOTH FEET PORTIONS OF THE PAIR OF PLATE-LIKE FEET PORTIONS BEINGBENDABLE ALONG THE INTEGRAL BENDABLE HINGE CONNECTIONS TO THEREBY BEPOSITIONABLE WHOLLY WITHIN PLANS PARALLEL TO ONE ANOTHER AND AT RIGHTANGLES TO THE PLANE OF THE INSIDE PORTION, THE RIGID FLAT PLATE-LIKEPORTIONS BEING RELATIVELY LARGE AND COVERING A SUBSTANTIAL AREA SUCHTHAT WHEN SO BENT EACH OF THE FOOT PORTIONS IS ADAPTED TO EXTEND TO BOTHSIDES OF THE PLANE OF THE INSIDE PORTION WITH THE INSIDE FACES OF THEFEET PORTIONS OVERLYING FLAT ENDS OF CHIMED RECEPTACLES, AND (F)INWARDLY EXTENDING PROJECTIONS INTEGRAL WITH AND EXTENSING INWARDLY FROMTHE FACES OF OPPOSITE FEET IN THE PAIR OF FLAT PLATE-LIKE RELATIVELYLARGE FEET, THE PROJECTIONS POSITIONED TO ENGAGE THE CHIMES OF ARECEPTACLE TO HOLD THEM IN THE DEVICE.